Today I had a GREAT run, and I finished my 15 minutes run 2 minutes walk x2 no problem and raring to go. I stopped there, though, even though I could have gone on longer and I really wanted to try a higher intensity because it wasn't in my running schedule. I've been faced with this situation before, and unless I was not on a plan, I stopped to avoid burning out. On the other hand, I've also set out to run 2 1/2 minutes at a time and ended up running 25, just because I wanted to see how far I could go, and knowing I could do thta really helped me.

I'm curious about what other people do. Do you think that adding on more after you finish your session is a fine way to get more activity, or that you should just quit while you're ahead and have a fond memory of exercise for the next session?

I constantly add on. My normal schedule is 60 min. elliptical X 5 days/week then 3 days per week of treadmill X 30 min. (it hurts my knees/shins if I do it too much)...well, I just about end up getting on the treadmill on days that I tell myself not to...just because I have the desire to see how far I can push myself without injury....so far so good, but it will probably catch up with me one day.

I push on all the time - it's a personal challenge for me. I love to see just how far I can go and it makes me feel terrific afterward =)

I like to push myself too specially if I'm in the mood for more exercise because some days I am not in the mood and cut the workout short.... So take advantage of your energy spurt I say...

Go for it on a particularly sprightly day! Just not every day and if you feel overly fatigued, its ok to cut back on your next workout. You want to stick to the 10% rule in general (dont increase mileage or time by more than 10% a week) but an occasional 20% increase wont hurt as long as it is not every week.

I push myself to work out at a really high intensity, so it's pretty rare that I ever feel like I could do more at the end of a workout. But on the rare occasions where I feel like I could do more, for example, if I take a class at my gym that ends up not being as hard as I thought it would be, then I will workout a little longer, if I have the time. But I'm always irritated about it and I won't take that class again. I want my workouts to be short and hard, not long and easy.